NF-104 and another Hornet from VFA-195 found the helicopter in the desert, with Ashby destroying it with a Walleye I. NF-104 would later have a kill marking of the Super Frelon applied to the aircraft when it was displayed at the WINGS 1991 airshow in Japan. On 10 August 1991, CVW-5 sailed with USS Midway for the last time, arriving in Hawaii on August 22 to swap with the new forward deployed carrier, USS Independence which had CVW-14. During the 'Great Carrier Air Wing SwapEx', VFA-195 transitioned to the F/A-18C Hornet and stayed with CVW-5. On April 15, 1992, VFA-195 deployed to the Persian Gulf with CVW-5 on the Independence. Along the way, in June, VFA-195 sent one of the Hornets to Doha, Qatar as well as conducting DACT with the Qatar Air Force. On August 23, 1992, Operation Southern Watch began as CVW-5 was the first US Navy unit to take part. On October 11, 1992, VFA-195 returned back to Atsugi, with one of their F/A-18C's (NF-403) being painted with a special white eagle on the tail. In February 1993, VFA-195 took part in Exercise Team Spirit '93 with South Korea while in the Sea of Japan. In September, they also participated in ANNUALEX '93 with the JMSDF. In March 1996, CVW-5 and VFA-195 deployed to calm tensions in the Taiwan Strait over Taiwan's first direct presidential elections. On March 27, VFA-195 and CVW-5 returned back to Atsugi after the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis. On May 18, VFA-195 along with CVW-5 departed with the Independence to take part in RIMPAC 1996 which ended on June 18. From March 10 to March 22, 1997, VFA-195 and the Independence took part in Exercise Tandem Thrust '97 with the Australian military. Between October 16 and 20, 1997, VFA-195 also took part in Foal Eagle '97 with South Korea before taking part in ANNUALEX 09G between November 6 and 12, 1997 with the JSDF. After a visit by U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen to the Independence while in-port on January 21, 1998, the Carrier along with VFA-195 and CVW-5 deployed on January 23 to take part in Operation Southern Watch, as announced by Cohen when he visited. This deployment would however be the last deployment made with the Independence. VFA-195 arrived in the Persian Gulf on February 5, before engaging in OSW. After four months, VFA-195 returned to NAF Atsugi on June